Phillip McCatty says that winning the triathlon at the recent National Championships was not easy.

He claimed the title of national champion by finishing in just over six minutes ahead of his nearest challenger, Alan Dempsey.

After the long layoff caused by the pandemic, returning to active competition in the gruelling three-discipline event proved to be very challenging on an unforgiving course in Port Royal. McCatty said that the route took a toll on him.

“It is very different this year because of the pandemic. This is my first triathlon in two years…I forgot how hard it is.

“In Canada we are heading into winter now, so the heat took some adaptation. With that being said, the run was the toughest part. The sun was out, there is no wind, not much shade and there is a bit of fatigue, so overall it was tough.”

McCatty completed the course in 1:10.33 hours, with Dempsey second in 1:16.49 hours, but the Canada-based athlete says that he is not being fooled by his margin of victory.

“I have a lot of work to do. Regardless of the competition, I have certain expectations of myself. I didn’t meet all of those, so I have to get back to the drawing board and get to work. I know what I need to do at the international level. Those guys are ahead of me and that’s the level I need to get to.”

He was delighted to be back in competition and will now be able to plan his upcoming season based on where he is at the moment.

“It is good to get rid of the rust, see where I am going into the winter. I will just get back to the drawing board and get back in training.

“I am not where I figured I would be, but I still did pretty well considering everything. I haven’t raced in so long. I have to work on my fitness and look forward to the season.”

McCatty is happy with his improvement in the swimming portion of his race and believes that the other areas are showing signs of improvement as well.

“I did really well in the swim, that’s a big improvement for me and my cycling and running are coming along.”

His win at the National Championships means that he has qualified to represent Jamaica at the Commonwealth Games next year. McCatty also represented Jamaica at the Commonwealth Games held in the Gold Coast in Australia 2018.